A Swedish- and falsely registered ambulance on the streets of Beirut is causing concern and reactions in Sweden. Transport Agency’s press chief Mikael Andersson believes it is the result of illegal car export.
– We know that it occurs, he tells Samnytt.

Last Tuesday, thousands of pagers exploded around Lebanon, which were used by the terrorist-labeled militia Hezbollah. This brought great attention to the country, especially its capital Beirut, in international media.

Among the ambulances that rushed to help injured militiamen, one in particular has raised eyebrows in Sweden. A Lebanese ambulance with a Swedish registration plate.

READ MORE: Several dead, thousands injured as pagers explode in Lebanon

A picture of the ambulance was taken by AFP photographer Anwar Amro.

Transport Agency: A car proxy

Samnytt has been in contact with the Transport Agency in Sweden. In an email to the editorial office, the authority’s press chief Mikael Andersson writes that the registration plate appears to be Swedish.

– If we take a closer look at the registration number, it belongs to a vehicle of the brand Opel Combo, but from the photo, it is apparent that the vehicle is of the brand Volkswagen, he notes in the email, which continues:

– The Opel has been off the road for six years and the registered owner is a woman who, by all accounts, is what is known as a car proxy. She owns 95 vehicles and has unpaid vehicle-related debts of 129,000 kronor.

The woman Andersson refers to lives in Malmö, is 36 years old, convicted of a crime, and lives with a man of Middle Eastern background who is also convicted of several crimes. The woman has previously been married to a man who is not registered in Sweden.

Black car export

Mikael Andersson believes that the Lebanese ambulance with a Swedish registration plate is likely the result of illegal car export.

– We know that it occurs that people involved in black car exports register the cars with car proxies in Sweden so that they themselves do not attract the attention of the Swedish Tax Agency. The principle in Sweden is that a registered owner is responsible for deregistering a vehicle here if it is exported, the press chief explains in the email.

– Most people are keen for this to happen to avoid taxes and fees, etc. Unfortunately, there are those who disregard it. Going back to the Opel, it has five years of unpaid road traffic register fees, all of which have been forwarded to the Enforcement Authority.

The press chief also finds it strange that the Lebanese authorities allow a Swedish-registered ambulance to drive around in Beirut.

– It is reasonable to wonder why a Lebanese ambulance is equipped with a Swedish registration plate. However, it is a matter for the Lebanese authorities to look into. A Lebanese-registered ambulance in Sweden would fairly quickly come to the attention of Swedish authorities, Mikael Andersson points out.

Samnytt has contacted the Embassy of Lebanon in Sweden.

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